About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
Mezzo Braccio is produced from Riesling Renano grown in the Le Fonti vineyard at Tenuta Monteloro, in the Apennine foothills behind Fiesole near Florence. The estate has an average elevation of 500 metres and a cool year-round climate. Clay soils tending toward calcareous contain a substantial stony component and are rich in minerals.
Grapes
Riesling Renano. The precise percentage is not specified.
Vinification
The 2022 crop was harvested manually in two stages. More vigorous sectors were picked in mid-September to retain acidity and mineral character; the higher parts of Le Fonti followed in the first week of October with more concentrated and aromatically mature fruit. The clusters were destemmed and softly pressed. Each vineyard parcel fermented separately in stainless-steel vats at temperatures no higher than 16 °C.
Ageing
The wine remained on its lees at 10 °C until bottling in mid-July 2023, followed by 24 months of bottle ageing.
Tasting profile
Straw yellow with green highlights. Intense white-fleshed fruit—particularly pear and white peach—is layered with delicate citrus-pith and white-flower notes, aromatic herbs and Riesling’s characteristic hydrocarbon nuance. The palate is fresh, mineral and full, with an herbal aftertaste.
Vintage notes
The 2022 season began with a cold, rainy winter that built useful soil-water reserves. A mild spring and dry conditions from May encouraged regular, even budbreak. Summer was warm and dry during flowering and berry growth, while rainfall from mid-August moderated temperature peaks. Rain events and marked day-to-night temperature variation in September and early October allowed the Riesling in Le Fonti to mature slowly.
Label / history
Mezzo Braccio has been produced since the 2007 vintage. Its name comes from an old Florentine unit of measurement used in rural areas for small plots, derived from the better-known Braccio Fiorentino. The estate’s emblematic intertwined creatures—a triton-bodied figure and a winged dragon forming the letter “M”—refer to local associations with Beatrice Portinari, Dante Alighieri and the landscape traditionally linked to the imagery of the Divine Comedy.
